Photo Booth for your Indian Wedding: Make it Work !

So you have been browsing WMG and are convinced you need to add something to your wedding celebrations that will  be so epic that people will talk about it for years centuries to come !   If you are looking for an inexpensive way to do this- to add a dash of fun and personality to your wedding , then we have just the thing for you – photo booths!  Think of how much more fun your Sangeet or Reception will be when your friends and family are having a ball with outrageous props and goofy poses!

Mallika poses with her posse - Photographed by one  of our favourites- Payal Kumar

Don’t these guys look like they are having the time of their lives?!

Now, there are two ways you can go about doing this – choose one of our recommended photographers to help out with a photo booth station or get your friends and family to help you pull it off! Keep reading for our photo booth checklist:

The Tech Stuff You Need :

1. Photography equipment: This is probably the most complicated bit of the photo booth. But once you figure this out, everything else is easy-peasey!

DSLR. All you need is a DSLR, a sturdy tripod and a remote shutter release (preferably a wireless one). Some of you probably own a DSLR or you could borrow it from someone who does, the same can be said for a tripod. This brings us to the remote shutter release. Most DSLRs have an option for remote shutter release, if yours does not have one then look around for a camera that does. With a remote shutter release, guests can take their own photographs. This saves you the trouble of finding a volunteer (s) who will have to stick around to take pictures and miss out on all the fun!   Ask your photographer if you can borrow a remote shutter release or browse ebay.com and amazon.com for a bargain find.

OR 

iMac or Mac laptop. You could make all of it easier and just use Photo Booth to take pictures. Guests can use the space bar to click photos and can instantly view the shots. The advantage of this set up is that you can set up this at home and play around with it until you get it right.

 OR

Tablets. Mount your tablet onto a tripod with an iStabilizer tabMount and click away!   *Tape an X to the spot where you want the tripod to go. Also tape the centre and edges of the background so guests know where they need to stand.

2.        Lighting. Do not forget the cardinal rule of photography – make sure that the light source is in front of you or next to you. Never, ever behind you!  Again, you could enlist the help of your photographer and borrow a spotlight and a photography umbrella. Alternatively you could turn on your camera’s flash or place a floor lamp beside the camera facing the backdrop.

The Creative Stuff You Need :

1. Background. Now that we have dealt with the tech aspect, let’s focus on the fun, creative part!

It can be as simple as removing your curtains and stringing ribbons or a table cloth over the rod! Your backgrounds can feature old sarees, table cloths, dupattas, crepe paper streamers, a few meters of discounted fabric or even a snazzy curtain. Just make sure that it is big enough and covers a considerable length of the wall so that it can accommodate large groups of guests. Check out the links below for ways to create super easy backgrounds !

Links for DIY Backdrop ideas: crepe paper| ribbon |fabric | brick wall 

A few photobooth background ideas we love: The NDTV Indian Roots show where Ambika Anand interviewed me had Silk sarees with lighting as an effective backdrop!

2.  Props. You can go craazzzyy here! We suggest that you pay a visit to your local Party Shop which can stock these OR you can download free printables from websites and use those instead. Also, keep an eye out for affordable props like oversized glasses at roadside shops.  Feather boas, sparkly top hats, afros and plastic lips are a must! These can be found at most party supply stores. Get your hands on some kindergarten slate and chalk or even some chart paper. Guests can then use this to write messages for the newly weds and hold them up in their picture. Don’t hold back when it comes to downloading free printables. Just make sure that you print them out on sturdy paper so that they last till the end. Print, cut and stick them on straws, wooden skewers or chopsticks.

Links for Free Printables: moustaches | more moustaches | colour | wedding

Blogger Kayennat from Desi Dossier had her very own DIY Photobooth. We loveee!

Cookie Boolani's wedding had one of our most favourite Photobooths ever !! A cutout in the shape of a polaroid!

Karan & Isha's Wedding shot by Phototantra had the couple posing behind frames hung from trees! 

If you do decide to go ahead with a DIY photo booth, so set some time aside with your besties and cousins to have a few trial runs before the big day. So which of you ladies will grab a prop and strike a pose? 

We would love to feature them on WMG. Do send us your pictures!

Also also, don't forget to book a good wedding photographer to capture all the fun!

Contributed by Elvina Davis